Meet Sunderland's recently crowned UK sailing champion, Bill Maughan

Sunderland now has its very own UK sailing champion after Bill Maughan took first place on the podium in the Musto Skiff class national championship.

A Musto Skiff is a solo operated sailing race boat with a length of 4.55m.

Bill, 29, from Seaburn, was crowned UK champion after four days of sailing in which he attained five first place finishes, one second, one third and one fifth place out of a field of 42 competitors.

The UK Championship event took place in Falmouth, Cornwall, between September 21st and 24th.

Speaking to the Echo after receiving his trophy, Bill said: “I was competing against racers who have been at or are going to the Olympics, and so I didn’t really expect to win.

“I’m over the moon.”

Each race involved completing three laps of the course in what Bill described as “very windy conditions”, with one day having to be cancelled due to the weather.

Bill said: “It’s not a case of just racing straight towards the turning buoy as you have to zig zag to catch the wind. You also have to read the wind and currents. It’s very physical but also very tactical and you have to think on your feet.

“You can hit speeds of around 25mph which can hurt if you fall off.”

Bill was initially inspired to get into sailing by his recently deceased grandfather, Ian Oliver, who developed a love for the ocean from his time in the Merchant Navy.

He was given some coaching by an uncle, but it was joining Sunderland Yacht Club as a teenager which Bill credits with laying the foundations for becoming a national champion.

He said: “A lot of people who sail may come from families with money, but I had a normal background and after doing some sailing with my uncle, myself and a couple of lads from school decided to join Sunderland Yacht Club.

“We would practice three to five times a week in the club’s boats and eventually started taking part in local competitions.

“Sailing can often be seen as an elitist sport but I would urge anyone who is interested to give it a go and get in touch with Sunderland Yacht Club.

“I still do a lot of my training off Seaburn and Roker through the Yacht Club. It’s a great place for racing and we often get chased by the dolphins."

Earlier this summer Bill also finished third in the Musto Skiff World Championships on Lake Garda in Italy.

With the next World Championships scheduled to take place in Weymouth next year, Bill is planning to train over the winter to hopefully achieve another podium finish.

He said: “I’d love to win it, but the calibre of competition is really high and so I would be happy with another podium finish.

“Sailing is not just a great sport but it also involves visiting beautiful places. Even though there is intense competition it’s also a great social event where you can enjoy a drink in the bar with everyone at the end of the event.”

Bill’s working life also revolves around sailing, as he works for Ovington Boats Ltd in North Shieds, who built his own racing boat as well as a range of other racing vessel designs, including 20 Olympic sailing boats.

Bill said: “My boss Chris Turner and the company are really supportive. Chris is a five time world sailing champion and the company provides the equipment, covers my travel and also allows me additional time to compete.”